Eureka remembers murdered pair

Zachary Coile, OF THE EXAMINER STAFF

Published 4:00 am, Monday, April 12, 1999

1999-04-12 04:00:00 PDT CALIFORNIA -- EUREKA - Grasping for a way to cope with the unsolved murders of Carole and Julie Sund, the family of the mother and daughter killed on a Yosemite vacation has started a petition drive for tougher sentencing laws against violent criminals.

The family announced the effort at a tearful, two-hour memorial service Sunday at Sacred Heart Church near the family's home here.

Distributed to friends and relatives, the petition calls on state and federal officials to crack down on parole violators and develop stricter laws against violent felons.

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But the petition doesn't specify how to do that - indeed the Sund family does not yet know whether the killer or killers had criminal records.

"If there are criminals out there that are doing these crimes over and over and over, it just doesn't seem to make sense that they should be released again," Jens Sund, father and husband to the two victims, said before the service. "I don't think families should have to go through this."

Sund made his remarks as a standing-room only crowd of more than 1,000 friends, relatives and supporters packed the church to remember Carole, 42, and her eldest daughter, Julie, 15. They disappeared - along with Silvina Pelosso, a family friend, an Argentine exchange student - almost two months ago and their bodies were discovered about three weeks ago.

Sunday's emotional service featured music, poetry and a touching farewell tribute by the Sunds' youngest daughter, whom they adopted.

Thirteen-year-old Gina Sund called Carole Sund "the best mother I could ever wish for.

"Although having the two most important people in my life taken away from me is the hardest thing I will ever have to overcome, don't look at me with frowns and sadness," she said, fighting back tears. "Just think of my mother laughing in a chair, and her smile and happiness."

The service came a day after several dozen family members gathered under a steady rain at St. Bernard's Catholic Cemetery to bury Julie Sund's remains. Her mother's body has yet to be released by the FBI, which is still collecting evidence.

On Sunday, the cloudy skies gave way to a sunny and warm day, allowing the family to serve finger foods and fruit punch at an outdoor reception following the service.

"The sun certainly helped to give a sense of celebration," said Linda Bareilles, a close friend of Carole Sund, who helped organize the service. "We figure Carole must have been pulling some strings up there."

Ushers handed out daisies, Julie Sund's favorite flower, as people filed in for the service. In the entryway, Julie's friends had placed posters on easels filled with photos of the Eureka High School sophomore with her classmates and her cheerleading squad.

At the altar, bouquets of flowers were set next to Julie's violin, which she played with the high school orchestra. A trowel and Carole Sund's old gardening hat were arranged on a table, representing her passion for gardening.

Monsignor Thomas Keys, a friend of the Sund family, began the service with a homily, praying for healing for grieving relatives and friends. He called on the perpetrators of the brutal crime to step forward and be held accountable.

"Free this family," Keys said. "Come forward so they can put this terrible tragedy to rest."

Ron Caton, Jens Sund's brother-in-law who was master of ceremonies, said he hoped the high-profile deaths would become a rallying cry for state and federal officials to develop stricter laws to keep even first-time violent felons locked up.

"We do not want them to have a second or third chance to commit more violent crimes," Caton said. He contended that California's "three strikes" law (which mandates 25 years to life for any felony conviction after two prior serious or violent felonies) is well-intentioned but does not go far enough to protect society.

"Ladies and gentleman, I say to you emphatically: Three strikes are too many," Caton said.

Ken Sund, Jens Sund's brother and the man spearheading the petition effort, said the discussion of what laws to tighten is just beginning. He said he has already talked to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante about possible changes in sentencing laws.

"We'll eventually have a trial and once we get past a trial we want to pinpoint some legislation that needs to occur to protect our people," Sund said. "Who wants their wife and daughter to go out and get killed, like it just happened to my brother?"

Feinstein, who flew out from Washington, D.C., to be at the event, said she would listen closely to what family members propose. But she said first the FBI must find out who was responsible for Carole and Julie Sund's deaths, and whether they were repeat offenders.

"Let's see what happened, let's see who the perpetrators turn out to be, and if they're caught, what their background was, and then you can make some judgments," Feinstein said. "It's very hard before you know to make those judgments."

The service Sunday was billed by friends as a celebration of the lives of the mother and daughter, and an effort to move beyond the gruesome details of the crime to highlight who Carole and Julie Sund were.

Carole Carrington, Carole Sund's mother, told the assembled crowd that she had worn a red dress to the service "because it's a celebration, because this is what Carole would have liked."

Carrington described her daughter as a "feisty tomboy" who grew into a fierce advocate for children, working on behalf of abused and neglected kids. She remembered Julie as a boisterous and free-spirited teenager who loved to shop and was just blooming into a bright young woman.

Carole Sund was praised by speaker after speaker for her work on the Humboldt Council for Adoptable Children, which helps families to adopt, and Court Appointed Special Advocates, where she worked to represent abused and neglected kids through the tangles of the court system.

"I believe that we should rejoice in the beautiful life Carole led and in her work," said Mark Matteoli, a longtime friend. "Because of the way she lived, I believe she is at peace."

Julie Sund was honored by her classmates in words and song. Her friend Nick Lende, 16, wrote a song about her death titled, "Never Again," and her high school orchestra played the theme song from the film "Robin Hood" with the poignant refrain "Everything I do, I do it for you."

In the audience, the reactions ranged from gentle laughter to tears, which were especially heavy among Julie's friends. Several members of her cheerleading team were red-eyed as they each dropped tulips before the altar. One teenage girl was hiding her sobs in the bushes outside the church just at the service was to begin.

Jens Sund, who sat in a front pew, sat mostly stone-faced through the eulogies, occasionally putting his arm around his son, Jonah, 14, who cried through much of the service.

Caton, Jens Sund's brother-in-law, praised the family for staying strong in the nearly two months since the three disappeared. He recalled that Jens Sund was just 16 when his father died after a long illness, leaving his mother, a native of El Salvador, with four children and few resources.

Caton said his brother-in-law would have to summon similar courage to tend to his remaining three children.

"He is confident that if his mother could successfully raise her children under more difficult economic circumstances, he can also do it," Caton said. "Jens, you should know that you are not alone. You have friends and family who are here to support you."

Friends and family members who organized the event said the turnout was a sign of how much people in the community cared for Carole and Julie.

"I think it's great that so many people are here, that everyone's come together," said Sarah Johnston, 16, who was Julie Sund's orchestra seatmate. "I think this is really hard, but I'm looking at today as a day of happiness and thankfulness about their lives."

But Johnston acknowledged that she still is having trouble dealing with Julie's death. She said the stress of the death recently led her to leave the orchestra. "I just can't do it right now," Johnston said.&lt;

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